Best Trout Fishing in Washington(Complete Anglers Guide), Lake Trout (Mackinaw) Fishing in Washington, complete guide to the best fly fishing rivers in Washington, the best steelhead fishing rivers in Washington in a separate article, free guide to easy trout fishing techniques and tips, FioRito Lake and Mattoon Lake in Kittitas County, Dalton Lake in Franklin County (Tri-Cities), Mountain Lake in San Juan County (on Orcas Island), Campbell Lake and Cavanaugh Lake in Skagit County, Davis Lake, Marshall Lake and several smaller lakes in Pend Oreille County, Badger Lake in Spokane County (plus a few others with modest plants), Merrill Lake (fly fishing) in Cowlitz County, Antillon (Lower and Upper) and Fish Lake in Chelan County, Martha Lake (Warm Beach) in Snohomish County, Aeneas Lake and Blue Lake (Sinlahekin) in Okanogan County. Saturday marked the beginning of trout angling season across the state and the fish are chomping at the bait. Schools of fish seem to move around a lot, and you may need to cover some water. Pierce County. Yakima County. The official state fish of Washington is the steelhead trout , which is scientifically known as Salmo gairdnerii. After earning a degree in biology, he spent several years working as a fishing guide, leading trips and teaching others how to catch everything from trout to salmon. This fish stocking information is from the year 2000 to present. Depending on data and requests, that could change. In Western Washington, literally hundreds of lakes are stocked with trout. With a sticker price of $10,000 to $13,000, its a thrifty persons Tesla or a big spenders electric bike. Klineline Pond stocked a total of 26 10lb rainbow, last on December 28th, 2022. Rowland Lake stocked a total of 60 10lb rainbow, last on December 13th, 2022. Kokanee Of course, its always a good idea to release spawning kokanee if you catch them; and many rivers and creeks in Washington close to fishing after October 31. Some years, 16-inch kokes are par for the course. Its a partnership between folks who sell fishing licenses and the state to get more people out fishing and give them excuses to visit some of these sporting goods stores, Spinelli said. Look for venders at wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/dealers. Many anglers dye corn and add scent to make it even more appealing. The first step will be a demonstration planting Wednesday and Thursday on Colby Avenue. The state record, a 9-pounder, was caught at Wobbly Lake, a high-country hike-in spot between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. Just like the Yakima, this, in turn, produces some giant trout as they have a reliable food source and plenty of space to grow. Of course, as with many lakes, the kokanee fishing can be frustratingly cyclical. Heres the quick answer: You can use frog baits, How much does it cost to go charter fishing in Cape Cod? away https://stepoutside.org/article/5-best-fishing-spots-in-washington-state/, What time of year do you use topwater frogs? By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The lake essentially has one main basin, and finding kokanee is the greatest hurdle here. Anglers who catch orange-tagged trout in lakes across Washington can win one of the more than 1,000 prizes, from 70 participating businesses with a total value of more than $38,000. Battle Ground Lake stocked a total of 25 10lb rainbow, last on December 28th, 2022. (1) It is unlawful to use more than two hooks to fish in saltwater, except for forage fish jigger gear and squid jig gear, and when fishing from the north jetty of the Columbia River. New regulations posted in 2002 require release of all trout less than 10 inches. 1. Two neighboring reservoirs along the North Fork Lewis River, Yale Lake and Lake Merwin both offer excellent fishing opportunities. Bobbers (or, floaters) Swivels, to keep fishing line from twisting. Lows will likely be below freezing Wednesday. In Eastern Washington, Westslope cutthroat trout also are found in both native and stocked populations, especially on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains and across the mountains of northeastern Washington. The four or five-mile stretch of the lake just above the dam is where youll often find the best concentrations of kokanee. Heading roughly south down the Interstate 5 corridor, here are some of the top options we recommend, in part because theyre loaded with catchable rainbow trout: In Central Washington, check out the following hot spots: In Eastern Washington, these are some lakes that tend to be heavily planted with rainbows: If youd rather fling flies at rainbow trout, we suggest you check out: These lakes arent stocked as heavily and most of the lakes weve already mentioned, but their fly fishing rules and conservation-minded regulations keep them full of big, feisty trout. The difficulty for anglers is that goldens are typically found only in lakes that are very difficult to access. Banks Lake is perhaps best known for walleye fishing, and for its abundant population of lake whitefish, among other game fish. Theres a 10-fish limit on kokanee in both lakes. Within Washington state a number of lakes in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains have been stocked since the early 20th century. For March: Fish Lake is one of the regions most popular fishing spots, catch your quota of brook trout, rainbow trout and tiger trout. You can get one online at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, by telephone at 1-866-246-9453 or at dealers around the state. Look for any structure in the lake and try various depths. Searuns, also known as harvest trout, dont spend as much time at sea as steelhead, instead feeding in bays and near-shore areas to feed on shrimp and other forage before returning to their home streams. If you want to try live bait, try night crawlers, salmon eggs, or minnows that mimic their native prey. Check out our complete guide to the best fly fishing rivers in Washington. Washington State Fishing Lake offers numerous camping areas along the east side of the lake. Facing a $28M deficit, the school board adopted a blueprint for potential layoffs and deep program cuts to make ends meet. However, if youre up for a long walk in the high mountains, it could be a fun way to check off another bucket list fish. Some of the lakes recently stocked include Island Lake in Kitsap County; Island, Lost, Nahwatzel, and Spencer lakes in Mason County; Lake Sylvia in Grays Harbor County; and Gibbs, Teal and Leland lakes in Jefferson County. Sturgeon are easily the largest lake-dwelling fish in North America and have few natural predators, which contributes to their massive size and longevity. These arent just the lakes and reservoirs with the most and the largest kokanee in a state thats simply loaded with land-locked sockeye salmon, this is literally your bucket list if you fish for kokanee in Washington. You do not need a license if you are fishing for common carp, crawfish, bullfrogs, or collecting relic shells. Its hard to imagine a more beautiful fishing destination than neighboring Kachess and Keechelus Lakes. 18-inch kokes are possible in both lakes. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This article briefly highlights some of Washingtons very best trout fishing for a variety of trout species found across the state. Private: What Lakes Have Been Stocked In Washington? We want people to enjoy it, we want people to connect with nature.. Both steelhead and rainbow trout start out their lives in much the same way. Kokanee feed primarily on plankton. How do you catch big brown trout at night? In Snohomish County, the lakes with tagged trout are Lake Ballinger, Bosworth Lake, Lake Ki, Martha Lake, Riley Lake, Silver Lake and Storm Lake. The following lakes that we cover in some depth elsewhere on our website also have kokanee, and they at times can provide anywhere from fair to very good fishing for these pan-sized salmon (as well as excellent angling for other game fish). Dont overlook the Cedar River right under many noses in King County or the Spokane River on the other side of the state. Prior to the existence of a state wildlife management agency, the U.S. Forest Service stocked mountain lakes with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) , cutthroat trout (Oncohynchus clarki) and eastern brook trout . In each case, the response is similar: alligators require tropical and warm environments. Sixgill The largest shark to inhabit Puget Sound waters the most often is the Sixgill, and it is approximately 16-20 feet long. Loon Lake is open seasonally, from the 4th Saturday in April until October 31st. Rock Lake. It expands our horizons a little bit and is a chance to enjoy the resources that weve got.. Kokanee and smaller trout are often on the menu in Washington. Better still, fish early in the morning. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife expects to stock or has stocked more than 16.6 million trout and kokanee into over 500 water bodies across the state to provide for excellent trout and kokanee fishing opportunities during 2021. If youre looking to hook into huge trout without the crowds, then keep reading to find your next trout fishing hot spot. Need a fishing license? Get an email alert when lakes near you get stocked! This lake produced the state record 18-pound Lahontan. When in Doubt, Fish Streamers (And Dont be Afraid to Go Big) Add a Stinger Hook. Additional east-side lakes with some mackinaw reported are Bonaparte Lake in Okanogan County and Horseshoe Lake in Pend Oreille County. Where can I fish for bull trout in Washington? Their preferred habitat is deep, cold water lakes and reservoirs. Make sure you have that tackle onboard, just in case, he said. The best time to be on the water is in the morning. About 45 minutes from Spokane, Loon Lake offers 1,086 acres of water, and is a mixed warm and cold-water fishery that once gave up Washingtons state record lake trout (Mackinaw). Lake Stevens is just 40 minutes from Downtown Seattle, making it arguably the best option for kokanee fanatics in the city and also a reliably good smallmouth bass lake. When the bite is really on, the best action is early in the day. With "spring break" fast approaching, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is stocking dozens of lakes in Western Washington with more than 250,000 . Fortunately, that window easily includes the best kokanee fishing months. It can also be a lot of fun to switch to jigging once you locate a solid school of kokanee. Licenses can be purchased online, by phone at 1-866-246-9453, or at any of the hundreds of license vendors across the state. Heres another non-native char, though it hails from the other side of the country in the Great Lakes and up into Canada, rather than the other side of the globe. Some of the lakes recently stocked include Island Lake in Kitsap County; Island, Lost, Nahwatzel, and Spencer lakes in Mason County; Lake Sylvia in Grays Harbor County; and Gibbs, Teal and Leland lakes in Jefferson County. Trout are not bottom feeders like carp or catfish. Smallmouth bass They can weigh more than 50 pounds (22 kilograms), but a more typical weight is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms). Lake Roosevelt stretching from central to northern Washington is the granddaddy of triploid rainbows, which are often both big and numerous in this massive Columbia River impoundment. The watershed, or the land area that drains into the lake, is relatively small. Crappie fishing at Lake Washington usually picks up fast as opposed to other lakes in the area Anglers are having some success fishing in 5-6 feet of water while fishing about 4 feet deep. But in some Washington lakes its possible to catch them up to 20 inches and weighing up to 3 pounds. Visit WDFWs lowland lakes page for more information on these and hundreds of other lakes throughout the state. If youd like to dive deeper into these deep-running freshwater salmon, read Kokanee Fishing: Simple How-To Tips and Techniques. Several species of bullhead catfish also inhabit lakes, ponds and rivers across the state. Theres another link toward the bottom that will take you to a simple guide to the most effective trout fishing methods. Black crappie The official world record for a sport-caught lake trout is 72 pounds, but even larger lakers have been recorded. 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